Who's not bouncing now?

Well no soon as I was sprung from prison than Gail was insisting on showing me all the photos from her bicycle tour across Wales.

I'm guessing it would be considered disloyal were I to admit that before long I was thinking I might be better off playing with my new friends in 'camp' after all. You know how it can be with someone else's holiday pictures, no matter how fond you are of that person, one can have too much of a good thing...

(And what's more, quelle surprise, there was the usual disappointing lack of 'welcome back' gifts.)

I am hoping that, having agreed to show you a small selection from Gail's photo gallery, avoiding too many distressing shots of lycra clad middle-aged backsides, then this will be end of it...

So it seems the trip started in Bristol (actually in England) where Gail was a student back in the Dark Ages. Before the ride began, Gail spent a nostalgic day revisiting old haunts, including the house in Montpelier where she lived for three years. Did you know that Montpelier, an inner city area of Bristol, was voted the UK's hippest neighbourhood in 2018?

To reach Wales from Bristol, Gail and her London cycling friends crossed two iconic bridges, Brunel's Clifton Suspension Bridge and the 'old' Severn Bridge.

Once in Wales, the group cycled along mile after mile of pretty lanes bordered by hedgerows laced with bluebells, stitchwort, red campion, buttercups and more...

And up and over hills, including the Gospel Pass and Bwlch y Groes, which Gail insists were a lot steeper than they look in the pictures...

Wales is famous for its castles large and small - those pictured below are in Caernarfon and Criccieth.

Wales is also famous for rain, but Gail tells me that, incredibly, apart from a few light showers one morning the weather was dry throughout.

She also says it was quite warm, although the evidence on this point is not entirely convincing...

And yes that is Gail, back right, taking a wee break with some of her companions on the approach to the seaside town of Portmadog, near the end of the trip.

Apparently Wales is great if you like: quiet roads, pretty scenery, castles, sheep, people speaking Welsh, cycling up hills, clean air...

And not so great if you like: breakfast options which include fresh fruit and a decent cup of coffee...

I should also report that since her return Gail has been rubbing her knees quite often and seems a bit less bouncy than usual after the effort of cycling up all those hills!

Oh and by the way, here is a reminder of what I look like, in case you had forgotten.